The Sting Of Secrets
by pretty in orange
Summary: Yasuchika loved her, but he wouldn't admit it and she acted like she was Satoshi's, so how could they ever end up together? YasuchikaXOC T for swearing and disturbing images.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Fan voted, here is Yasuchika "Chika" Haninozuka's story. Thank you to everyone who voted, and I will be taking votes for who's next. You can either leave it in a review, or PM me with it. The guys left are Ritsu, the twins, and Satoshi. Sorry about this, but Kyoya's going last for sure now because I have to make a new OC for him. Anyway, let's get started.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, and I make no profit from this. I do own Zona Ayden, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>Yasuchika could hear the laughter from inside the karate club. His mouth turned down and he turned to glare at the closed door with everything he had.<p>

"Satoshi!" Zona Ayden, the girl Yasuchika had been eyeing for almost a month now, giggled outside the door.

"I have to get to club, ok? See you later, Zo." Satoshi opened the door and caught a glare from his best friend. "Aww, little Yasuchika's angry." He teased, clapping Yasuchika on the back lightly.

"Shut up." Yasuchika turned away and went back to training, trying to hide the tears starting in his eyes.

He heard the door shut as Zona walked away, and then Satoshi whacked him on top of the head. "What's wrong with you, Yasuchika? Every time you see that girl you turn into a bigger jerk than you try to be."

"Get to training." Yasuchika growled, rubbing his eyes. Luckily so one else in club had noticed his flaw.

"Don't be a brat." Satoshi laughed, but instead of listening to him he slipped back across the hall to Kendo club.

Yasuchika looked down for a moment before going back to training. He was never going to win Zona over like this...

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><p>"Satoshi?" Zona looked up from her spot beside her locker, where she was reading. "Is Yasuchika mad at you or something? He seemed kind of ticked."<p>

"No." Satoshi sat beside her, peeking over her shoulder at her book. "He's just an angry child lately. Don't worry about him."

"You two are such strange friends." Zona leaned her head against Satoshi's arm, closing her eyes. "He's so cranky all the time and you're so nice."

"Yasuchika's nice too." Satoshi made a shh motion by putting a finger to his lips. "But don't tell him I told you, ok?"

"I can keep a secret." Zona rolled her eyes and turned back to her book.

"You're really into that horror stuff aren't you?" Satoshi asked after glancing at the cover of the book. "You're a strange girl."

"Oh like you should talk." Zona paused as Satoshi tried not to laugh. "You're a strange boy."

Satoshi laughed, and then looked up as Yasuchika walked by. "Hey Yasuchika-"

"Shut up." Yasuchika didn't look at them, he just kept walking.

"I'll see you later, Zo." Satoshi jumped up and followed his cousin out of the school.

Zona looked down at her book, and didn't see Yasuchika glance back at her.

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><p>AN: Short first chapter as always. I hope it was ok, as I've forgotten exactly how hard it is to work with Chika. I might try to update again today, just so you know. Anyway, what did you think?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm really not feeling well, and it came on very suddenly, so this might count for tomorrow's add. I don't know yet, though I'm shaking so hard my chair is moving a bit. Sorry to anyone who's excited about tomorrow's add, if anyone is.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, and I make no profit from this. I do own Zona Ayden, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>"Satoshi!" Zona jumped at Satoshi when he appeared in the school's back hallway before school the next day. "Where's Yasuchika?"<p>

"He said he didn't want to walk to school with me today." He ruffled Zona's blonde locks playfully as they settled against the lockers. "He must've had something to do at home."

"Hey!" Zona shot him a slight glare and tried to straighten out her hair. "Come _on_, Sato, I brush my hair for a reason, do you have to do that?"

"You're cute when you're angry." Satoshi laughed. "Like the little sister I've always wanted." He gave her a one armed hug.

Zona settled against his side, pulling a book from her bag and leaning against him.

"Now what are you reading?" Satoshi moved the cover to look at it. "Please tell me you're not doing a book report on that. It's got gore galore!"

"My teachers say my reports are unique and respectable." Zona shrugged, turning the page. "Besides, I'm on Headmaster Suoh's good side, so it wouldn't be a big deal anyway."

"You're crazy." Satoshi shook his head, his grin betraying him. "You're like a carnivorous rabbit or something. You're cute on the outside, but inside you're insane and murderous."

"I don't have any strikes on my school record, thank you." Zona leaned against him, ending the conversation.

Satoshi studied her as she read, her expression didn't change at all, despite that the book she was reading was known for blood and gore.

"Come, Satoshi." Yasuchika called as he passed by, heading for his locker.

"I have to go." Satoshi stood, reaching down to ruffle Zona's hair one last time, making her growl. "See you later, Zo."

"Jerk." Zona muttered, putting her book down to straighten her hair out. "See you though."

Satoshi followed Yasuchika down the hall, to his locker, and asked, "So what's going on?"

Yasuchika felt a slight blush creep across his face. "Nothing. I wanted to battle Mitsukuni before school so I couldn't walk with you."

"What's going on with you and Zona is what I meant." Satoshi laughed, making Yasuchika turn a brighter shade of pink. "Every time I'm anywhere near her you act like you don't want me to be close to her." Satoshi's grin widened and he leaned in. "Do you have a crush on me?"

"N-no!" Yasuchika couldn't control his stutter at the mention of a crush, though it wasn't his best friend he had the crush on. "I'm not gay, Satoshi, I just... I don't want her corrupting you."

Satoshi blinked, and then raised his eyebrows. "How would she 'corrupt' me?"

"She's into all that strange stuff, she could mess you up." Yasuchika blinked away tears and adjusted his glasses. "Are you dating that girl?"

Satoshi laughed, progressing to the point where he was doubled over. "That's a good one, Yasuchika. She's like part of my family, practically. I wouldn't date her."

Yasuchika swallowed his sigh of relief. "I'll meet you in class. Go."

"What? Why?" Satoshi looked at his best friend for a minute, then shrugged and started to walk away when he didn't get a response. "I'll save you a seat!" He called as he made his way down the hall, eventually turning the corner and disappearing from Yasuchika's sight.

It was only then that Yasuchika realized that girl, Zona Ayden, was watching him.

"What are you looking at?" He spat, quickly turning away to rearrange the books in his locker.

Zona's face flickered to a glacial expression and she turned, heading for her class. "Nothing important." She said just before she turned into a class.

Yasuchika punched his locker just as the tears fell.

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><p>AN: I feel a little bad for torturing them like this. Anyway, you'll see why Zona is like this later on, maybe the next chapter. What do you think?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I desperately wanted to get some fiction work done, but my brain is at a standstill every time I go to work on something over there, so I'm back. And the shaking hasn't stopped, so I don't know how this will go.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, and I make no profit from this. I do own Zona Ayden, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>"You look like you're going to kill someone, Zo." Satoshi noted as he fumbled for the right key to unlock the kendo club's door.<p>

"I would like to kill someone. Stupid Yasuchika." Zona watched Satoshi try to figure out which key he needed. "And I can tell you right now that the key you need isn't on there."

"Really?" Satoshi shuffled through the keys again, and she was right. "Damn it, where could I have lost it?" He scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "I guess I have to go get the janitor..."

"Here, I can handle this." Zona plucked a bobby pin from her coat pocket and rattled it around in the lock for a minute before pushing the door open. "Don't tell anyone I can do that."

"No problem." Satoshi made sure the door would stay open and then gave her a hug. "Cheer up, will you? I hate it when you're so sad."

"Yeah, well it's no picnic for me either." Zona nudged Satoshi into his club and started for the exit, not needing to say goodbye.

"Hey." Someone called as she made a break for the door. "Wait!"

"I'm not interested in whatever it is you have to say, Yasuchika." Zona didn't glance over her shoulder at him, she knew his voice and that was enough. "Just go back to your club and be the perfect little Haninozuka boy, ok?"

Yasuchika swore under his breath as she darted out the front doors of the school and disappeared down the sidewalk. He was sure it was never going to work, but if he could talk to Satoshi about her, maybe something would work...

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><p>Zona unlocked the front door of her house and the wave of frigid air hit her. Great, the heater was on the fritz again. She would have to find a way to fix it, she figured, since nobody else was home. She didn't have the credit card numbers to be able to hire someone herself.<p>

In the meantime she slipped two hooded sweatshirts on in a trade for her coat, zipped them both and padded into the living room.

The picture that hung on the wall behind the couch was her favorite, the picture of her and her sister, Zella at the park, nearly a year ago. _A little over a year now._ Zona thought sadly as she reached up and touched the glass. The frame moved a little crookedly, but she didn't straighten it. All the better, since things were so messed up now.

Zona curled up on the couch, pulling the quilt over her. The heater could be dealt with later; it wasn't quite cold enough for her to become hypothermic. _If it were summer, it would be considered air conditioning. _She thought to herself with a small chuckle. She fell asleep huddled in the quilt, staring up at the picture of her and her sister.

"_Mom!" Zona cried out as she darted into the front yard of her house, where the sirens had stopped and the lights from the police cars were flashing. "Mom, what happened?"_

_Mrs. Ayden didn't say anything, but she reached out and touched her youngest, and now only, daughter's hair. The touch was fleeting, and barely there to begin with._

_Zona spotted the ambulance that was loading someone into the ambulance in a body bag. "Mom, who's in there?" Zona crept closer, her curiosity winning out over the cold spot of fear in her stomach. _

_She caught a flash, just a glimpse, of her sister's favorite dress as they zipped the body bag. Purple flowers disappeared into that black bag._

_Zona's breath hitched in her throat, and she realized that there was blood on the grass. It was slick on her shoes, half dried in some places, leaving small clots on the blades of grass._

"_He shot her." Mrs. Ayden wiped her tears away, beckoning her last daughter closer. "He said if she was going to leave him, she didn't get to live."_

_Zona realized the situation with horror, Souta had shot her sister, and Zella was dead. The crime scene tape was being rolled out around the front yard, and Zona couldn't control the sounds that escaped her mouth, first whimpers, then sobs, and then screams._

Zona awoke with a start. She didn't know if she had been screaming in her sleep again, but she knew that her face was covered in tears, and her heart was pounding somewhere in the vicinity of her throat.

She heard footsteps and she swallowed hard. Had she locked the door? A quick recap of when she had walked in revealed she hadn't.

That was when she realized that the footsteps were on the porch. She crept over to the front door, locked it, and then peered out the peephole.

Well, she hadn't expected to see that.

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><p>AN: Cliffhanger. I don't know when I'll add again, but rest assured that I know what's going to happen. And I'm either going to do fiction work now or go to sleep; thought sleep would be a better plan. What did you think?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm pulling an all-nighter tonight, so I have no clue how many times I'll add to this. It could be anywhere from one to the point where I actually finish this and start the next story. I still need at least one more vote, and who's left – and who is winning - will be at the end author note, ok?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, and I make no profit from this. I do own Zona Ayden, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>Zona chained the door and then opened it the tiny crack that the chain would allow. "What do you want, Yasuchika?"<p>

"What did I ever do to you?" Yasuchika asked, his tone softer than usual. "What did I do to deserve this treatment from you? I never hurt you."

"Here's a better question, why do you have to act like you already earned my trust?" Zona closed the door even more so she was speaking through a tiny crack. "And another, what the hell do you want from me?"

Yasuchika swallowed hard, unable to answer, just before she slammed the door in his face. Why was it so difficult for him to win her over? It was all Satoshi's fault; he had stolen Zona's heart. That was it... maybe.

Zona blinked away tears; she didn't want to trust anyone. The only reason she trusted Satoshi was that she had known him while Zella was alive, and she had trusted him with everything she had then. Satoshi was the one that had snuck into the girl's bathroom to talk to her while she was crying by the sinks, Satoshi was the one that had slipped through her window when she cried every night for two months after Zella died. But she didn't love Satoshi like that; he was more like a brother than anything else. She couldn't love anyone like _that_ when she had to live with what Souta had down to her sister.

"Damn it!" Yasuchika growled, but it was shaky and Zona could hear his tears in his voice. "Why can't I ever win? I can't win with Mitsukuni... I can't win in love... what the hell is wrong with me?"

Zona felt her chest tighten, she hated that she was hurting someone who she presumed was innocent. But she couldn't change, not now, not after everything she had been for so long. It just wouldn't work.

She slid down against the door, hugging her knees and trying to cry quietly. Things could never be normal for her again, she was sure. She couldn't change now, and Yasuchika could find someone else. Boys were fickle, right? As soon as someone who was prettier came along, he'd forget. And Zona could forget about any need to love.

Yasuchika wiped his tears away and then put his ear against the door. There was an odd sniffling noise, and when he listened he could hear soft sobs.

He had made her cry, he realized. He was doing something terribly wrong here, and he needed to talk to Satoshi. He bolted down the front porch's steps and down the sidewalk.

He never wanted to make her cry again...

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><p>AN: Short chapter, but I should update again tonight, since I have to stay up all night. And for the vote, Ritsu, the twins, and Satoshi are up for the vote, and the twins and Satoshi are tied at the moment. I either need a tiebreaker or for some people to rally for Ritsu. Anyway, I know it was sad but what did you think?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: My cat is playing with my computer mouse as I type this. It's actually a little amusing. Like I said in the last chapter, the vote is still up. Ritsu, the twins and Satoshi are up, and Satoshi and the twins are tied. Anyway else going to vote or do I need to be the tiebreaker?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, and I make no profit from this. I do own Zona Ayden, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>"Did something happen to Zona?" Yasuchika asked when he finally got to his best friend's house.<p>

"Why do you ask?" Satoshi wasn't quite sure, but he was thinking along the lines that Yasuchika liked Zona and had done something bad to her. He had probably done something purely accidental and bad to her, but that wasn't the point. Something was going on.

"You better not tell anyone." Yasuchika felt a slight blush creep across his face. "I like her... and I accidentally made her cry."

"What?" Satoshi whapped Yasuchika over the head with a kendo stick. "You made her cry? You jerk."

"Can you just answer me?" Yasuchika snapped. "I just need to know why she got so upset."

"Her sister died." Satoshi sighed. "I think it was a little over a year ago. Zella, that was her name. Her boyfriend shot her on the Ayden's front lawn."

Yasuchika blinked. He could definitely understand being emotional after this.

"I only know because I was the one who was around every time she got upset. I took care of her a little bit, I guess." Satoshi gave a sad little smile. "She's always been pretty morbid, but after her sister died... she changed a lot."

Yasuchika stood. He would go back, he would fix this, somehow.

"Let her calm down before you go back." Satoshi pulled Yasuchika back down. "She doesn't like to be around people when she's crying."

"Except you." Yasuchika muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away.

"I told you, we see each other as family." Satoshi rolled his eyes and chuckled a bit. "She's like a little sister to me. And I'm like her brother."

"You don't act like it." Yasuchika stood again and headed for the door. "I'm leaving."

"Oh don't be a baby." Satoshi stood and followed him to the door. "She won't answer the door if she's still upset."

"I'll walk right in then." Yasuchika reasoned and Satoshi just shook his head.

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><p>Zona had retreated to her bathroom to try and ease the puffiness and redness around her eyes with a cool cloth. So far, it wasn't working, and she was sitting on the edge of the tub when she heard the door open. Had she locked it that time? She couldn't remember.<p>

"Mom?" She called down the hall, her toes curled with the tension of the situation. "Is that you?"

Footsteps padded down the hall, and Zona stood and tried to make it to the bathroom door silently. Instead, she came face to face with Yasuchika, who blinked at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry about your sister." Yasuchika murmured.

"I'm sorry I didn't lock that door." Zona shot back, but she backed up. "I should call the police."

"I'm not going to hurt you." Yasuchika gently put his hands on her shoulders. "I like you, ok?" A fierce red blush came across the boy's face. "I didn't come here to hurt you in any way. I like you. A lot... say something..."

"I can't like anyone like that..." Zona murmured, looking away. "It's too much, I can't... I don't even know you!"

"You could know me." Yasuchika whispered, and he could feel the tears starting. "We could..." He trailed off when Zona stepped back.

The girl extended her hand and looked up at him expectantly. "Friends?"

"Without benefits." Yasuchika said, to preserve some of his honor, and shook her hand.

"Now please get out." Zona's voice had been downgraded to a whisper.

"Alright." Yasuchika gave her one last glance and then made his way out the front door, locking it behind him.

Zona collapsed onto the floor, exhausted with the effort of it all.

Yasuchika smiled as he walked down the sidewalk. Today, he had gotten somewhere.

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><p>AN: I think I'm going try and finish this up tonight, so I need you guys to vote, ok? And my cat is still playing with the mouse; I have little control. Anyway, what did you think?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: My kitten still hasn't moved from where she is with my mouse... I think she's jealous of my love for the new cat. Either that or she's enjoying the fan blowing on her.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, and I make no profit from this. I do own Zona Ayden, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>"Hi Chika! Where's Sato?" Zona jumped at Yasuchika a week later, hugging him tightly.<p>

"He said he was going to be a little late today and for me to go ahead." Yasuchika took his usual spot on Zona's right as they settled against the lockers. "What are you reading?"

"_Rosemary's Baby_." Zona smiled at him. "And yes, I have no shame when it comes to reading these things in school."

"Did you start liking horror when your sister died?" Yasuchika peered down at the pages and then looked away in distaste.

"No. I've always had an eye for the gory." Zona turned the page; this clearly wasn't a big deal to her. "When I was a kid I used to sneak downstairs late at night and watch all the Dracula remakes while my babysitter lazed off."

"Things like that don't gross you out?" Yasuchika blinked, amazed. She really wasn't like most girls.

"Not really. It takes a lot to gross me out." Zona leaned on him slightly, and Yasuchika couldn't tell if she meant to or not. "One time, when we were having our house worked on, this guy almost chopped off his finger, it was cut down to the bone and there was blood all over. It just wasn't that disturbing to me."

Yasuchika swallowed, now he felt a little nauseous.

"I could tell you worse stories, but I don't think you can take it." Zona shot him a smug little smile.

Yasuchika ignored that comment for all he was worth. "What else do you like other than horror and gore?"

Zona looked away, a dusty rose blush slipping across her face. "Not much."

"What are you hiding?" Yasuchika felt a smile tug at his lips as Zona just shook her head in response. "Does Satoshi know?" Yasuchika tried again.

"No. I don't think so anyway." Zona leaned against Yasuchika more, clearly trying to distract him.

Yasuchika's mind went fuzzy as she turned slightly to look up at him. They were so close, he could kiss her now. Yasuchika sat up straight, adding to the distance between them.

"You're a good guy." Zona smiled, and then added, as an afterthought, "Do you even still like me?"

They exchanged looks and Zona smiled. "Then you're a good guy."

"I saw that!" Satoshi came out from behind a corner, laughing. "You two are so cute together."

The guilty parties blushed, and Zona stood. "I need to get to class early. I'll see you later, guys. Try not to kill each other." She slipped each of them a smile, and then giggled as she half-walked half-skipped down the hallway.

"You know she's just-" Satoshi began.

"Don't say it." Yasuchika warned, his face going red.

"Like-" Satoshi smirked even as Yasuchika cut him off again.

"Don't you _dare_." Yasuchika growled.

"Mitsukuni. Except for the horror obsession." Satoshi finished, and then made a run for it.

Yasuchika took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. For a best friend, Satoshi sure could be a pain in his ass.

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><p>AN: Well, we had an almost kiss. Maybe a kiss in the next chapter? I don't know since I don't plan any of this out. We are nearing the end though, so please, everyone who hasn't voted over here, tell me who should go next? The twins and Satoshi are tied, but some people could still rally for Ritsu! Anyway, what did you think?


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Right now, I'm starting to get tired, I need to add to my Gundam Wing story, I want to finish this, and I'm thinking about how I have to get ready to go in a few hours. I think I'm not going to be a happy camper today.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, and I make no profit from this. I do own Zona Ayden, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>"Did you lock yourself out?" Zona asked, clearly amused as Yasuchika swore and checked his bag for the karate club key again.<p>

"No, I had the keys..." Yasuchika checked all his pockets and rattled the door again. "Shit."

"Let me handle this. You just don't tell a soul." Zona pulled a bobby pin from her jacket pocket and rattled it around in the lock for a minute. The doorknob turned after that, but the door wouldn't budge. "It's either jammed or something's blocking it. I can't tell you which it is though."

Yasuchika muttered a few more swearwords and then sighed. "They just don't respect me, do they?"

"Doesn't look like it, does it?" Zona nudged Yasuchika away from the door and knocked. "Um, excuse me, I was in here earlier, I think I left my bag in there... somewhere... can I come in and look for it? Pretty please with sugar on top?" She turned to Yasuchika and made a shh motion.

"Are you alone?" A karate club member called from inside. "No one's with you out there?"

"Yes... I'm alone... I just need to come in and get my bag." Zona smirked at Yasuchika as she spoke. "I really need to get home, I don't want to get in trouble with my parents."

There was a shifting sound as they moved something away from the door and then it opened. "Sorry about that, sweetheart." The guy grinned lasciviously at Zona.

"Thank you, kind sir, I award you with the idiot medal." Zona smacked the guy in the forehead as Yasuchika walked in past him. "See you Chika, I'm sure you can handle this on your own."

"Yes. Thank you, Zona." Yasuchika gave her an innocent smile and then dragged the karate club member inside, muttering something about membership suspension.

"Do you like him?" Satoshi asked as Zona shut the door and turned to him.

"I don't like anyone like that." Zona muttered, though it was an automatic response. "He's my friend, like you're my friend."

"Really?" Satoshi leveled her with a gaze. "Because if the kendo club members had locked me out and put something in front of the door you would be laughing. Loudly." He grinned at her, he knew her all too well.

"I can't like anyone like that." Zona muttered, rolling her eyes for effect. "Don't suspect the impossible." She headed for the door, her bag in her hand.

"Don't suspect that the possible is impossible." Satoshi muttered before walking into his club.

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><p>AN: I was wrong, this isn't the last chapter next to the epilogue, but I think the next one will be. But we'll see. Please remember to vote, I would hate to have to be the tiebreaker... And what did you think of this chapter?


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm pretty sure this will be the last chapter though there will be an epilogue after this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, and I make no profit from this. I do own Zona Ayden, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>"You didn't tell me your heater was broken at your house!" Yasuchika yelped, staring at Zona in horror and surprise. "Did you call someone? How long has it been broken for?"<p>

"I don't have the credit cards to get it fixed." Zona said very calmly as she ran her fingers over her copy of the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe. "It's not that cold in there, so I've been fine."

"It's supposed to get warmer after this weekend, so why don't you stay with someone until it warms up?" Satoshi suggested, glancing at Yasuchika.

"I'm fine at my house, thank you." Zona didn't look up from her book. "I just layer up when it gets colder, it's not a big deal, you guys."

"That's it." Satoshi smirked. "You're staying with Yasuchika."

The blonde two looked at each other and each prepared to fight the decision.

"Unless there's something you're hiding from each other." Satoshi smirked, he had the upper hand there and everyone knew it. "Then it should be fine."

"Since you're not asking, Sato," Zona scolded, "Is that ok with you, Chika?"

Yasuchika nodded. He could keep her out of his room, he was sure.

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><p>Days came and went since Zona had been temporarily moved into Yasuchika and Mitsukuni's house. Everything went smoothly, until Friday.<p>

As soon as they were home, Zona had retreated to her room, saying she wasn't feeling well and she needed a nap. Yasuchika had left her alone, figuring she just needed to sleep it off, but when he came to check on her, he found something that left him completely shocked.

Zona was asleep, clutching a stuffed toy of a baby bird, much like the ones he had, except purple with a pink beak.

Yasuchika blinked, and then he couldn't control the grin that spread over his face. He leaned down, about to kiss her cheek, but his plan was foiled when Zona rolled onto her back and opened her eyes.

"Morning." She said, unfazed though Yasuchika was mere inches from her face. "Going to take advantage of your sleeping houseguest?" She teased, but pulled him down and kissed him anyway after a short pause.

As Yasuchika turned about the same color as a tomato, Mitsukuni peeked in the doorway, smiling.

_So Yasuchika's finally in love..._

As Yasuchika pulled away from Zona, a similar thought crossed his mind.

_So she finally admitted it._

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><p>AN: I'm starting work on the epilogue as soon as this is posted, but I need votes to see who goes next. A recap, the twins and Satoshi are tied, and Ritsu is up for the vote as well, so I need either a tiebreaker or a bunch of people who love Ritsu. Personally, I would love to write Ritsu next. Anyway, short chapter but what did you think?


	9. Epilogue

A/N: This is the epilogue, and after this I will be moving on to the next Ouran guy. It's still looking like I'll have to be the tiebreaker, which I hate to have to do... I will recap the voting one more time at the end of the epilogue.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, and I make no profit from this. I do own Zona Ayden, so please ask if you want to use her, ok?

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><p>"I like your room." Zona murmured, wandering around Yasuchika's room, staring at all the baby bird memorabilia.<p>

"Don't tell anyone, ok?" Yasuchika plopped down on his bed. "No one knows and if they did they'd be all over me to be just like Mitsukuni."

"Yeah." Zona sat down beside him, smiling just a little at him. "Nobody should have to be just like their sibling because of pressure. It's one thing if you want to be like them... but to have to because everyone wants you to be... that sucks."

Yasuchika looked at her for a minute, trying to prompt her with his eyes. When he didn't get a response that way, he sighed. "Before your sister died, it was like that for you, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Zona ran her hands through her hair. "Perfect girly girl, straight A's, supposedly good taste in boys... I was supposed to be just like her, my whole life, I was supposed to be her mini-me." She gave a dry little laugh. "Instead I turned out to be a horror loving tomboy who, until now, has had zero interest in boys. Though my grades aren't too bad usually."

"Tell the truth," Yasuchika eyed her with jealousy in his eyes. "Were you in love with Satoshi?"

"Eww, that's like incest!" Zona laughed, scrunching up her nose like a bunny. "Seriously, he _is_ like my brother, so that's just gross. I don't do incest."

"No feelings for him at all?" Yasuchika asked, surprised. "You're so close though..."

"I love him like the brother I always wanted." Zona smiled. "And to him, I'm the little sister he always wanted. It ends there, promise."

"I always thought you were..." Yasuchika struggled for a word that wouldn't offend her. "Together."

"No. Though you're not the first to say that." Zona leaned in closer to him, pulling him down. "But you know what? Even though I thought you were a jerk for the longest time, I always thought you were kind of cute." She kissed him gently, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I always thought you were beautiful." Yasuchika murmured, blushing, when they separated.

Zona smiled and tipped his forehead to hers and for a moment they just smiled at each other.

With everything out in the open, the sting of the secrets had been eased.

* * *

><p>AN: The epilogue is actually longer than most of my epilogues. A lot of times people see my epilogues and go "That's it?" The recap is that the twins and Satoshi are tied in votes, and Ritsu is in the voting as well, but without a single vote. Please vote, or I have to be a tiebreaker. Anyway, what did you think?


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